Photos on and around JKs Rough String Ranch in the high desert, Great Basin area of SE Oregon ~ Horses, cattle, dogs, ranching, farming, buckaroos…rural America in the West…the life we love

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This day was a road trip day for my husband and I…which doesn’t happen very often. We drove the loop from Princeton to Frenchglen and on through Catlow Valley to Fields where we visited friends. The trip back was along the east base of Steens Mountain along the Alvord Desert and back to Princeton.

Total miles was about 190, and I estimate that we met fewer than a dozen other vehicles…they don’t call this the “Big Empty” for nothing! The huge sagebrush sea was all around us the whole trip with wildlife and cows…lots of cows!

Appointments in town made me leave the ranch. It was an uneventful trip; hair cut, acupuncture groceries, hardware store, and feed store.

Getting close to home, Steens Mountain seemed to be lit up with sunshine on the horizon to the south through the crack of light in the clouds.

See the second cow from the right? Our place is just above that cow where the sage brush meets the snow and rim rock; about four miles away.

Steens Mountain is about 40 miles further as the crow flies. It’s one of the last pristine areas left in Oregon.

The Steens can be full of surprises. A month ago, there were some workers up on top that got caught in a sudden snow storm and were stuck up there for three nights before they were able to be rescued. You can read the story HERE.

If you ever get a chance to visit SE Oregon, Steens Mountain is a must see on your agenda! There is a road that reaches all the way to the top (10,000 feet) and is usually open from July 1 through some time in October. The gorges are spectacular. We’ve ridden our horses up three of the four gorges…totally amazing. Mother Nature at her finest.